Journaling as an Act of Self Compassion  

Miriam de Galembert, a mother of five from of Renfrew, Ont., has been journaling since the age of seven, keeping journals for most of her life 

“It has been such a great outlet to truly and profoundly express myself in ways that are not always possible with people,” says de Galembert. “It has been great helping me gain self-awareness. You can read what you wrote afterwards and gain new perspectives.”  

Journaling is a great way to express feelings and emotions privately. For de Galembert, journaling validates her experiences and expels trauma from her life, rather than keeping them inside.  

Journaling is the act of writing down thoughts or feelings in a diary or notebook, where you can write about anything and everything. It can also be a healthy way to reflect, understand your inner thoughts and manage your personal stress. Journaling can not only act as an outlet to maintain good mental health, but as an act of self-compassion, too.  

What is Self-Compassion?   

Simply put, self-compassion is about loving yourself. This means being kind to yourself, being open to feeling your own pain and having an empathetic way of comprehending your own adversity while relating your own imperfections to the overall journey of life. 

How Journaling Cultivates Self Compassion and Self-Love 

Journaling helps to build up both self-compassion and self-love in so many ways. Journaling allows individuals to write about hardship, creating a spark that leads to an exploration of one’s own suffering. Writing in a journal about anxiety and stress is a form of reflection and these reflections can help individuals learn how to be kinder to themselves, gaining insight into their own obstacles.  

Journaling can also aid in self-discovery. This means that by writing and reflecting on journal entries individuals can discover more about themselves and their likes and dislikes. Writing in a journal can help individuals understand their limitations, which is a form of self-care, because it means that the individual can better respect and their body’s own capabilities. 

Writing in a journal is also a way of checking in with oneself. For example, individuals can write in their journal to express any difficulty that they may have had throughout the day. Doing this can help individuals explore their feelings towards situations within their personal lives in a safe and healthy manner. Writing in a journal can also help individuals find solutions, by brainstorming ideas which can improve one’s overall well-being and problem-solving skills. 

Journaling can also help to initiate self-compassion because it can encourage individuals to look at the bigger picture and relate their issues to the larger scale of life. Overall, this writing can allow the mind to be more self-reflective and draw conclusions based on these evaluations. 

Finally, journaling cultivates self-compassion and self-love because it is a way to help individuals become the best version of themselves through the exploration of all the thoughts, aspirations and emotions that are written down on paper. 

The Benefits of Journaling 

Journaling can contribute to improved overall mental and emotional wellbeing by being a creative outlet that can help people to process their emotions through a healthy outlet.  

A journal or diary is always there to be a non-judgmental and safe way to disclose personal feelings. A journal also allows individuals to explore their thoughts and emotions in a private way away from peering eyes. 

Another benefit of journaling is that it allows for self-discovery. Journaling can allow individuals to discover their passions, hobbies and dreams. It can help individuals to discover more about themselves in the sense that they can write down goals, helping provide a clear vision of what they want to achieve. Ultimately, journaling is a form of self-reflection which helps to foster a better understanding of oneself. 

How To Journal 

There are many ways that individuals can journal:  

• Search for journal prompts online. 

• Write a to-do list for the day ahead. 

• Write about your goals. 

• Write about your worries or fears. 

• Jot down all your thoughts and feelings. 

• Write in your journal as often as desired, every day. 

• Write about memories, both happy and negative. 

Journaling can help you grow in self-compassion and self-love. According to de Galembert, journalling gives her the opportunity to reflect on her life and have a new appreciation and compassion for herself —taking it as a learning curve, understanding why things happened, and having compassion for doing the best that she could with the tools she had.  

“When you know better, you do better,” she says.